BERNARD S. CAPP -- Ph.D. – Professor at University of Warwick

Dear Jonathan,

It's an interesting thesis. My gut reaction would be that you are
probably right in some (perhaps many) instances, though not in all. In
recent times, personal and family motives may well have played a
significant role with George W Bush and the 2nd Iraq War, but I don't
think the thesis would work for 1939 and the outbreak of WWII.

On the 1650s: the Dutch War of 1652-4 wasn't really Cromwell's doing- he
wasn't yet in power, and was thought to be generally against it. There
was a party/factional dimension alongside the commercial rivalries. The
Dutch were seen as still leaning towards the Stuart cause, partly
because of the ties between the Stuarts and the House of Orange and the
war was fought partly to force them to drop that and come to terms with
the republican regime. Cromwell made peace fairly soon once he was
installed as Lord Protector....

Good luck with your project,

Best wishes

Bernard 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

LESLIE PRICE -- Ph.D.  – Professor at Hull University    

I'll restrict myself to the Anglo-Dutch wards of the seventeenth century. On the Dutch side, faction played little part in bringing the wars about, as the Dutch were attacked in every case.  However, Orangist factions used setbacks in all three wars to undermine the existing regime, and were spectacularly successful in 1672 notably in the towns of Holland and Zeeland.

On the English side, I would argue that in all three case the attacks on the Dutch Republic had very little to do with what we would now see as national interest but served the interests of various factions.

In the 1st war there was a combination of the New Merchants (See Robert Brenner, Merchants and Revolution), Fifth Monarchists, and others trying to promote the prestige of a rather insecure government....

Yours,

Dr. J.L. Price

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

JONATHAN SCOTT -- Ph.D. – Professor at University of Pittsburg

Dear Mr. Kolkey,

It is entirely true that throughout seventeenth century English history the self interest of individuals, factions and other groups played an important role in politics including decisions to go to war. But it is difficult to generalise over the whole century about specific causes....
 
In 1652-4 it is true that conduct of the 1st Anglo-Dutch war was dominated by republican MPs who wanted a strong naval power to counterbalance that of the army, and in my view that is one reason Cromwell dissolved the Rump in 1653. But the causes of the war lie further back and are more complicated and multifaceted....

yours sincerely,
 
Jonathan Scott

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ADDITIONAL SCHOLARLY CONFIRMATIONS WILL BE POSTED AS SOON AS THEY ARE RECEIVED